BEIJING Steven Zuber Schweiz Trikot , May 19 (Xinhua) -- A piece of news saying that China' s Communist Youth League (CYL) promised to help single young people to find their soulmate became an instant hit online this week.

On the People's Daily's official Weibo account, a microblogging site, the story has garnered over 47,000 comments and has been shared over 50,000 times.

CYL will organize more social activities for single men and women, including book clubs and blind dates, to bring potential couples together, according to a press release by CYL.

So far, the CYL has organized 16 social gatherings bringing together 1,700 participants Marwin Hitz Schweiz Trikot , which have resulted in 208 people finding a partner, according to the CYL official WeChat account.

The program is not without its critics, however.

The activities won't work -- it would be too awkward, said Zhang Yuangan, 28.